The present disclosure relates to a document sheet transportation device which transports a document sheet toward a predetermined document reading position, and an image forming apparatus provided therewith.
In an image forming apparatus such as a copy machine, a document sheet transportation device which automatically transports a document sheet to be read toward a predetermined document sheet reading position is attached. The document sheet transportation device is provided with a document sheet placement portion on which a document sheet is placed, a document sheet transportation path provided to extend from the document sheet placement portion, and a feeding portion which feeds the document sheet toward the document sheet transportation path. In a document sheet transportation device of this kind, the feeding portion includes a pickup roller which sends out document sheets placed in the document sheet placement portion to the document sheet transportation path one by one, a paper feeding roller which feeds the document sheet sent out by the pickup roller further to a downstream side of the document sheet transportation path, and a stopper mechanism.
The stopper mechanism, which is a mechanism arranged between the pickup roller and the paper feeding roller, is formed with a stopper piece rotatably supported by a supporting body. The stopper piece is allowed to change a position among a regulating position in which the stopper piece is in contact with a front end of a document sheet to regulate feeding by the paper feeding roller, a paper feeding allowing position, and a rotating position. During a feeding operation when the feeding portion feeds a document sheet, the stopper piece assumes the paper feeding allowing position in which the stopper piece is separated from the front end of the document sheet so as not to prevent the feeding operation of the feeding portion. Additionally, when the jam of the document sheet occurs in the feeding portion, the stopper piece rotates from the paper feeding allowing position to assume the rotating position in conjunction with movement of drawing-out of the document sheet from the feeding portion. This suppresses the document sheet from being caught by the stopper piece, thereby suppressing the document sheet from being damaged.